節分（せつぶん）とは、各季節の始まりの日（立春・立夏・立秋・立冬）の前日のことをいいますが、特に立春を日本では１年のはじまりとして尊び、しだいに節分といえば立春の前日をしめすようになったようです。今年は２月３日です。節分には恵方（えほう）を向いて無言で太巻寿司（ふとまきずし）を食べる風習があります。恵方とは、その年のいい方角をいい、福の神がいる方角を指します。恵方は北北西・東北東・南南東・西南西の４つがあります。この４つを 東北東→西南西→南南東→北北西→南南東の順に５年ごとに繰り返しています。今年の恵方は、東北東です。「恵方巻」はコンビニのセブンイレブンが節分に太巻き寿司を食べる風習があると聞いて仕掛けたことにより2000年代以降に急速に全国に広まりました。 太巻きは、七福神にちなんで７種類の具が入っていることが多いです。
・2月4日（月）.5日（火）　春節休み
・2月27日（水） 　　 　　　飛鳥学院定期試験　　　
・2月28（木）.3月1日（金）　試験休み
飛鳥学院は7月生を募集しています。皆様のお越しをお待ちしております。

七草粥（ななくさがゆ）という言葉を聞いたことありませんか。1月7日に無病息災を祈って、春の七草を入れて炊いた粥です。正月に疲れた胃袋を整えるために食べます。 最近では、スーパーに｢七草セット｣が売っていて便利です。

「セリ・ナズナ・ゴギョウ・ハコベラ・ホトケノザ・スズナ・スズシロ」、子どものころに一生懸命覚えた春の七草の名前です。 草の名前は、実はそれぞれの植物の名前になぞらえた、縁起の良い語呂合わせの呼び方になっています。

セリ…競り勝つという意味です。

ナズナ…撫でて汚れを取り除くという意味が込められています。

御形（ゴギョウ）…仏様の体という意味です。

ハコベラ…繁栄が広がるという意味です。

仏の座（ホトケノザ）…仏様が座禅を組んでいるような花の形から。

スズナ…カブのこと。神を呼ぶ鈴に見立てられています。

1月  1日　　 　 元旦

1月  8日(火)  　新学期

1月　14日(月)　　成人の日(祝日)

2019年　初心にかえって新学期を迎えましょう

Do you eat soba (buckwheat) noodles? In Japan, we eat soba on New Year’s Eve. It has been our custom since Edo period. There are several origin stories. Some say people wish their thin and long lives just like thin and long soba noodles. Others say soba noodles are easily cut and people hope their hardship and debts should also be cut off before the New Year. Either way, we eat soba noodles wishing a happy new year. There are families who cook year-end soba at home as well as ones who order delivery soba. New Year’s Eve is the busiest day of the year for soba restaurants.

Sanuki area in Kagawa prefecture is famous for udon noodles. They eat udon on New Year’s Eve instead of soba and eat another udon on New Year’s Day. Now you know how much they love udon there.

Sunday, December 2^nd           JLPT

Friday, December 22^nd through Monday, January 7^th        Winter Break

Bear up under the cold weather and do not miss a class.

November might not have much of appeal. October has Halloween and December has Christmas and year-end parties. There are, however, beautiful autumn leaves, ‘Shichi-Go-San’ and ‘Pocky Day’ in November.
‘Shichi-Go-San, 753’ is the day when we celebrate three-year-old and seven -year-old girls and five-year-old boys. It is originally the 15th of November when people visit shrines for ‘Shichi-Go-San’. Since it is quite congested in the shrines around the 15th, many families visit before or after the busy period these days.
A Japanese confectionary manufacturer, Ezaki Glico has been selling chocolate covered stick biscuits, ‘Pocky’, since 1966. Its figure resembles to the number ‘1’, November 11th, 11/11, is called’ Pocky Day’.
On the 3rd Thursday of November, Beaujolais nouveau is released in France. Japanese fans also long for its same day release in Japan.

Sunday, November 11th Examination of Japanese University Admission for International Students
Wednesday, November 28th Term Examination at Asuka gakuin
Thursday, November 29th through Friday, November 30th After-exam Break
Sunday, December 2nd Japanese Language Proficiency Test

Asuka gakuin roots for its students who do their bests.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Japanese.

It is getting nice and cool in October. Colors of leaves start to change in some places.

People spend their time in many ways. Some think eating seasonal harvest is the best, some enjoy reading books. It is also the best season for sports and art. How are you planning to spend your fall?

We have old Japanese names for 12 months. October’s old name is ‘Kan-na-dsuki’. ‘Kan’ is gods and ‘na’ is no. All gods gather in Izumo in the tenth month and all the other regions are without gods, no god, Kan-na. On the other hand, Izumo region is full of gods in this month and the month’s name is ‘Kami-ari-dsuki’, god-existing month.

※October students of 2018 go in March,2019.

Learn Japanese and its culture at Asuka Gakuin!

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